Thoughts on the NME Radar Tour line-up

The line-up for the second NME Radar Tour of the year was announced last week, and I must say it looks a good’un.

From bottom to top, on the card are Neon Gold electro pop kids Yes Giantess (formerly just Giantess – this confused me and my iTunes for ages), American five-piece Local Natives, the satin-cloaked sounds of Marina & the Diamonds and, headlining, London’s own Golden Silvers.

There’s plenty of talent here but also, perhaps more importantly, diversity. Marina’s mostly sprawling and rambly songs perfectly emphasise her fabulously deep Welsh tenor, rich with coal and dragons. By contrast, Yes Giantess swim in an over-populated electro-pop pond (full of eels?) and it’s questionable whether they have enough uniqueness to get fished out, even with the infectious single Tuff’n’Stuff. But here’s a big stage just waiting for them to make a claim for elevation. Local Natives are much heartier of sound, and it’ll be fascinating to see if they’re any bit as good live as the SXSW Festival reports suggested earlier this year.

As for the Golden Silvers, peddling a folksy, keyboard-laden alternative pop that’s perfectly suited to lazy North and East London bohemia (and which also went down screamingly well at Glasto this year), this a trio who now seem set fair for big things. Why? Because the main event on the NME Radar tour in spring was La Roux, a lady who, while boring the knickers off this blogger, has unarguably since smitten the masses. NME, of course, takes full credit for this.

So all in all, it looks like a crackerjack of a night. I’m a little surprised Golden Silvers are considered a bigger draw than Marina, but NME’s probably a better judge of widespread public knowledge than I am. They should both do well out of it, anyway, and I expect tickets to go quickly. I’m sure getting mine rapidamente. Here are the complete dates: